Adventurehttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/adventure
en-usSun, 02 Aug 2015 14:34:58 -0400Sun, 02 Aug 2015 14:34:58 -0400The latest news on Adventure from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-beaches-for-surfing-2015-730 incredible beaches every surfer should visit in their lifetimehttp://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-beaches-for-surfing-2015-7
Sat, 25 Jul 2015 13:00:00 -0400Business Insider
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-beaches-for-surfing-2015-7">Check out these 30 incredible beaches every surfer should visit &raquo;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-beaches-for-surfing-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bungee-jumping-qing-long-canyon-china-2015-6">This guy absolutely loses it as he bungee jumps off a tower in China's beautiful Qing Long Canyon</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/12-things-before-30-adventure-twenties-2015-712 things you should do before you turn 30 http://www.businessinsider.com/12-things-before-30-adventure-twenties-2015-7
Fri, 24 Jul 2015 11:27:00 -0400Eames Yates
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<p>Let's face it, your twenties are tough. But it might be worth your while to find some time to fit in these 12 things before turning the big 3-0.</p>
<p><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/eames-yates">Eames Yates</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video: </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/12-things-before-30-adventure-twenties-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/perus-see-through-pod-hotelIf you want to spend a night in this see-through cliffside hotel, you'll have to take a terrifying journeyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/perus-see-through-pod-hotel
Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:01:00 -0400Shivam Saini
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55aceb49371d222e008b7b35-2256-1692/g0121231.jpg" alt="G0121231.JPG" data-mce-source="Image courtesy of Natura Vive" /></p><p>A Peruvian company has taken adventure tourism&nbsp;<span>&mdash; and hotel design&nbsp;<span>&mdash;</span></span>&nbsp;to new heights.</p>
<p>For about $300 a night per person, <a href="http://www.naturavive.com/index.php/en/skylodge-adventure-suites-en">Natura Vive</a>&nbsp;houses&nbsp;intrepid travelers in Skylodge, a series of three sleeping pods that jut&nbsp;out on a mountainside in&nbsp;the Peruvian Andes.</p>
<p>But there's a hitch if you want to visit: the pods are accessible only after hiking or zip-lining&nbsp;over&nbsp;1,000 feet&nbsp;to the four-bed suites, which each have&nbsp;six windows, a bathroom and a dining area.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span>Natura Vive was founded in 2008 by&nbsp;Ario Ferri, a mountain climbing guide who designed the hanging suites. The adventure tourism company also&nbsp;conducts&nbsp;rock-climbing and zip-lining tours. &nbsp;</span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's what the&nbsp;cliff-side hotel has to offer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-hotels-will-look-like-in-the-future-2015-6" >Here's what hotels will look like in the future</a></strong></p>
<h3>Visitors climb 1,400 iron rungs to reach the two-year-old Skylodge, with a steel cable tied around the body for protection.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55acf1ae2acae719008b7ee9-400-300/visitors-climb-1400-iron-rungs-to-reach-the-two-year-old-skylodge-with-a-steel-cable-tied-around-the-body-for-protection.jpg" alt="" />
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<br/><br/><h3>You could also zip-line all the way to the cliffside suites.</h3>
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<br/><br/><h3>Guests enter the pods through submarine-style roof hatches.</h3>
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<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/perus-see-through-pod-hotel#/#the-192-square-foot-transparent-rooms-each-house-up-to-four-people-and-overlook-perus-sacred-valley-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-maps-no-service-save-offline-2015-6">How to use Google Maps when you have no phone service</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-jurek-is-trying-to-set-a-new-appalachian-trail-speed-record-2015-7This man has just 3 days left to break a 2,189-mile speed record spanning hundreds of thousands of feethttp://www.businessinsider.com/scott-jurek-is-trying-to-set-a-new-appalachian-trail-speed-record-2015-7
Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:55:00 -0400Kevin Loria
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/559ea6f1371d2278018b618d-2336-1752/ap_060512055546.jpg" border="0" alt="Scott Jurek" data-mce-source="Associated Press" data-mce-caption="Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, of Seattle, runs up the Mount Si trail near North Bend, Wash. in a Friday, May 12, 2006 photo, reaching the summit in less than an hour."></p><p>Scott Jurek is on the move.</p>
<p>The ultramarathoner — who became well-known outside the running world through Christopher McDougall's excellent book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307279189">Born to Run</a>" — has already <a href="http://scottjurek.com/bio">accomplished feats</a> that boggle the mind, showing the amazing things that can be accomplished by a determined athlete.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/1997316/will-scott-jurek-break-appalachian-trail-record-maybe">Outside's Kathryn Miles reports</a>, Jurek won the <a href="http://www.wser.org/">Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run</a> seven consecutive times, from 1999 to 2005. He's won the 153-mile Spartathlon, the Badwater 135-mile ultra, and holds the US all-surface record for most distance covered in a 24-hour run, 165.7 miles.</p>
<p>Now the clock is ticking as Jurek is <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/1997316/will-scott-jurek-break-appalachian-trail-record-maybe">trying to accomplish what he has called</a> his "masterpiece," an attempt to set a new speed record while running the 2,189 miles of the Appalachian Trail, with 515,000 feet in elevation change.</p>
<p>It's coming down to the wire.</p>
<p>For Jurek to beat Jennifer Pharr Davis's current record (46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes), he needs to reach the end point on Maine's Mount Katahdin by 5:15 p.m. on July 12, this Sunday.</p>
<p>On July 8 at around 3 p.m., Jurek posted an Instagram shot from the 2,000-mile marker, meaning 189.2 miles left.</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/44qWnPSlN6/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Appalachian Trail Day 43: 2000 miles down, 189.2 to go. Getting closer! #SJAT15 #GeorgiaToMaine #EatAndRun 📷@krissymoehl</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Scott Jurek (@scottjurek) on Jul 8, 2015 at 11:32am PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-07-08T18:32:39+00:00">Jul 8, 2015 at 11:32am PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer"> It hasn't been an easy trip.</p>
<p>The 41-year-old injured his knee just seven days into his run, which he began in Georgia, thinking the run itself would help condition him for the rough and rocky patches of New Hampshire and Maine.</p>
<p>At points, this has slowed his pace to a crawl, yet he's still basically kept to his original plan: 50 miles a day, day after day.</p>
<p>Of course, it's not all running, as evidenced by this river-crossing photo Jurek posted this morning:</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/466e_1SlPe/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Appalachian Trail Day 44: Kennebec River crossing this morning with my buddy @tgaylord. Reminded me of being a kid again! HUGE thank you to @adventureboundrafting John and Mandy for making this possible. 📷 @krissymoehl #SJAT15 #EatAndRun #GeorgiaToMaine</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Scott Jurek (@scottjurek) on Jul 9, 2015 at 8:32am PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-07-09T15:32:05+00:00">Jul 9, 2015 at 8:32am PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer">Andrew Thompson, who currently holds the men's record for fastest-known trail completion (Pharr Davis beat his time by over 24 hours), <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/1997316/will-scott-jurek-break-appalachian-trail-record-maybe">told Outside</a> that "If everything goes absolutely right from here on out, Scott will be hiking up Katahdin on Sunday looking at the second hand of his watch."</p>
<p>Thompson helped pace Jurek for a few days in New Hampshire's White Mountains.</p>
<p>Pharr Davis <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-racing/appalachian-trail-record-holder-ready-to-pass-the-torch">told Runner's World</a> that she supports Jurek's effort, too — apparently it's an unwritten rule that if you are going to try to break the record, you call the current record-holder first.</p>
<p>"If he does break it, I will take him out for a vegan dinner," she told Runner's World — Jurek is a noted vegan, and says a plant-based diet helps him perform at an optimal level. "Although if he doesn't break it, maybe we will have to go get barbecue."</p>
<p>Others have shown up to support or snap photos with him along the way, with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScottJurek">Jurek's Facebook</a> page full of shots documenting the journey.</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/468o0ehe0V/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Made it to Maine to help push the pace and get this guy to Katahdin. Go @scottjurek !!! #SJAT15</a>
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<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-07-09T15:50:54+00:00">Jul 9, 2015 at 8:50am PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer">When it's over, Jurek has said that he's close to ready to retire. Until then, he's going to push through.</p>
<p>"There's a joy to discomfort and pain," he <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/1997316/will-scott-jurek-break-appalachian-trail-record-maybe">tells Outside</a>. "Any time you push through a barrier of discomfort there's an ease and a lightness on the other side."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-being-outside-in-nature-is-healthy-2015-6" >11 scientifically proven reasons you should be spending less time in the office</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-jurek-is-trying-to-set-a-new-appalachian-trail-speed-record-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/slacking-red-bull-backflip-sport-baylines-2015-6">People doing backflips on a two-inch wide strap is a real sport called slacklining</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/bungee-jumping-qing-long-canyon-china-2015-6This guy absolutely loses it as he bungee jumps off a tower in China's beautiful Qing Long Canyonhttp://www.businessinsider.com/bungee-jumping-qing-long-canyon-china-2015-6
Sun, 07 Jun 2015 12:14:00 -0400Jason Gaines and Associated Press
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<p>Watch this guy finish off his trip to China's Qing Long Canyon by bungee jumping off a tower. </p>
<p><em>Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press and BON TV.</em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bungee-jumping-qing-long-canyon-china-2015-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-summit-2008-k2-tragedy-documentary-2015-6THE SUMMIT: The story of the deadliest day on the world's most dangerous mountainhttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-summit-2008-k2-tragedy-documentary-2015-6
Wed, 03 Jun 2015 05:56:58 -0400Dina Spector
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/524dd29169beddd9308b4572-720-/k2-7.jpg" border="0" alt="K2" width="720"></p><p>"<a href="http://thesummitfilm.com/">The Summit</a>," a documenatry that chronicles the deadliest day in K2's history, is now available to stream on Netflix.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The film, directed by Nick Ryan, attempts to piece together&nbsp;what happend on a single day in 2008, when 11 climbers perished on the second-highest mountain in the world.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The incident became a major news story that summer, although the details of what happened on that day —&nbsp;and why so many people lost their lives — are still murky.</p>
<p>The movie relies on interviews from survivors and uses footage from the actual climb as well as reenactments filmed in the Alps.</p>
<p>We've compiled a shortened version of the story, told using screenshots from the trailer, but recommend checking out the full documentary.&nbsp;</p><h3>Located on the western edge of the Himalayas, K2 is found at the center of the Karakoram Mountain range in northern Pakistan.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/524dbc27eab8ea540702bf5b-400-300/located-on-the-western-edge-of-the-himalayas-k2-is-found-at-the-center-of-the-karakoram-mountain-range-in-northern-pakistan.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>K2 is slightly shorter than Everest, but more dangerous to mountaineers because it is more difficult to climb and has notoriously bad weather since it is farther north. </h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/524dc52769bedda41702bf53-400-300/k2-is-slightly-shorter-than-everest-but-more-dangerous-to-mountaineers-because-it-is-more-difficult-to-climb-and-has-notoriously-bad-weather-since-it-is-farther-north.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Of the roughly 300 climbers who have reached the top of K2, more than one-quarter of them died on the way down.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/524dbc81ecad04c816e26a2e-400-300/of-the-roughly-300-climbers-who-have-reached-the-top-of-k2-more-than-one-quarter-of-them-died-on-the-way-down.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-summit-2008-k2-tragedy-documentary-2015-6#meaning-for-every-four-climbers-who-successfully-summit-k2-one-person-dies-trying-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/world-famous-explorer-david-attenborough-describes-his-most-amazing-adventure-2015-5World-famous explorer David Attenborough describes his most amazing adventurehttp://www.businessinsider.com/world-famous-explorer-david-attenborough-describes-his-most-amazing-adventure-2015-5
Wed, 13 May 2015 17:05:00 -0400Tanya Lewis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5553b9c26bb3f7737d7c05b1-600-/david-attenborough-hadrocodium-fossil.jpg" border="0" alt="David attenborough hadrocodium fossil" width="600"></p><p>Sir David Attenborough, the world-famous nature host, recently found himself in a bat cave in Borneo, dangling from a rope 300 feet (91 meters) above the ground, as a drone hovered around filming him.</p>
<p>At 89 years old, the narrator and host of such well-known programs as the BBC's "Life" and "Planet Earth" series shows no signs of slowing down. He made an appearance here last week at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History to preview his latest show, "Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates." The show premieres Wednesday (May 13) at 8 p.m. EDT and 9 p.m. PDT on Smithsonian Channel.</p>
<p>The bat cave incident happened just last year, when <a href="http://www.livescience.com/26473-david-attenborough-humanity-plague.html">Attenborough</a> was filming a scene for a 3D show about flying animals. The cave is home to three types of aerial creatures — bats, birds and cockroaches — and the idea was to film Attenborough as the birds came home to roost and the <a href="http://www.livescience.com/48658-bats-jam-signals-of-competition.html">bats came out to hunt</a> the cockroaches. [<a href="http://www.livescience.com/15376-image-gallery-vampire-bats.html">Flying Mammals: Gallery of Spooky Bats</a>]</p>
<p>"We decided in the end that I would hang from a rope 300 feet above the ground," Attenborough told the audience. "It wasn't actually my idea."</p>
<p>The bats weren't due to come out until about 6 p.m., but the show's producers hoisted Attenborough into position at about 5 p.m. During the hour that he hung there waiting, Attenborough said, "I thought, gosh, that rope is thin!" When the bats finally arrived and an "octocopter" drone hovered nearby to film the event, he wondered what would happen <a href="http://www.livescience.com/50499-bizarre-drone-crashes.html">if the drone hit</a> a bat and the vehicle collided with him. Luckily, the bats steered clear of the drone, he said, "and well, here I am!"</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, Attenborough sat down with Live Science to talk about everything from his favorite experience during his travels, to how to stop humans from ruining the planet.</p>
<p>In real life, Attenborough is more soft-spoken than on TV, and looks young for his age (it was the day before his 89th birthday). After all this time, he still manages to conjure up a sense of wonder about the natural world.</p>
<p>While he has had countless amazing experiences during his long and successful career in wildlife broadcast television, Attenborough highlighted one event in particular. "There is one definable moment," he said, "when suddenly, it is breathtaking:" the first time he scuba dived on a <a href="http://www.livescience.com/38992-google-street-view-coral-reefs.html">coral reef</a>. He described "the sensation of being able to move without any physical effort at all [and seeing] the most extraordinary crustaceans, invertebrates of all kinds and nudibranchs [sea slugs] … the colors, the way they move — it's just mind-blowing."</p>
<p>As someone who grew up on a Hawaiian island, this reporter is very familiar with that experience. When Attenborough heard this, he skillfully pronounced the Hawaiian name of the state fish, "humuhumunukunukuāpua'a" (pronounced hoomoo-hoomoo-nookoo-nookoo-ah-poo-ah-ah).</p>
<p>Attenborough's new show traces the origins of animals, from the earliest vertebrates living in the Cambrian seas some 500 million years ago to the rise of mammals, marking the key developments that allowed animals to survive on land, breathe air and nurture their young. "It's the longest, most dramatic story in the universe," he said.</p>
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<p>In the show, Attenborough travels to fossil beds in China to find missing links in the evolutionary history of vertebrates, from one of the earliest flying dinosaurs to the rodentlike <a href="http://www.livescience.com/26929-mama-first-ancestor-placental-mammals.html">ancestor of all mammals</a>. [<a href="http://www.livescience.com/11313-evolution-extreme-mammals.html">Gallery: Evolution's Most Extreme Mammals</a>]</p>
<p>But if you ask Attenborough what his favorite animal is, he says he doesn't have one, "unless it's a human baby … that's the most extraordinary animal I can think of." (Though he later admitted his "spirit" animal would be a sloth.)</p>
<p>Despite his amiable manner, Attenborough said he is under no delusions about how humans have impacted the environment. "The evidence is incontrovertible," he said. "We <a href="http://www.livescience.com/19832-human-evolution-variability-climate-environment.html">dominate the planet</a>… We take everything we want."</p>
<p>That doesn't mean humans are evil, but "we have to be realistic," he added.</p>
<p>One solution he proposed is to harness more <a href="http://www.livescience.com/12533-switching-sun-convert-solar-energy.html">solar energy</a>. If America could put a man on the moon within 10 years of undertaking the project, then finding ways to harvest and store enough energy to support humanity's needs should definitely be possible, he said.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Attenborough himself plans to keep exploring, and has no plans to retire. "I'm having a ball," he said.</p>
<p><em>Follow Tanya Lewis on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/tanyalewis314"><em>Twitter</em></a><em>. Follow us </em><a href="https://twitter.com/LiveScience"><em>@livescience</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/livescience"><em>Facebook</em></a><em> &amp; </em><a href="https://plus.google.com/101164570444913213957/posts"><em>Google+</em></a><em>. Original article on <a href="http://www.livescience.com/50793-david-attenborough-new-show.html">Live Science</a>.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.livescience.com/13377-extremophiles-world-weirdest-life.html">Extreme Life on Earth: 8 Bizarre Creatures</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.livescience.com/13032-earth-7-tipping-points-climate-change.html">Earth in the Balance: 7 Crucial Tipping Points</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.livescience.com/23711-history-mysterious-extinctions.html">Wipe Out: History's Most Mysterious Extinctions</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Copyright 2015 <a href="http://www.livescience.com/">LiveScience</a>, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brain-to-brain-communication-is-possible-2015-5" >We can already send thoughts from one brain to another — and that might eventually let us download skills</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/world-famous-explorer-david-attenborough-describes-his-most-amazing-adventure-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-after-black-widow-spider-bite-poison-2015-4">Here's what happens when you get bitten by a black widow</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-pay-for-a-professional-tour-guide-2015-5Here's when it's worth paying for a professional tour guide http://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-pay-for-a-professional-tour-guide-2015-5
Tue, 12 May 2015 16:03:00 -0400Talia Avakian
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/554cf3886da811f655b0a52b-909-681/tourguide-2.jpg" border="0" alt="tourguide">Part of the fun of traveling is getting lost and finding new destinations on your own.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">But sometimes, having an experienced guide can be extremely helpful and even necessary to get access to certain places.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">So, when is it worth paying for a professional guide?</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2>When you're short on time&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If you only have a few days or hours to spare, getting a tour guide can help save valuable time.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You can organize what you'd like to do with your guide beforehand so that they can customize plans for a few hours or a full day. That way, you can leave your trip feeling like you got to see the best of the area.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Cruise ports</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img class="center" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/554cdfe1eab8ea2b477ab05c-1200-924/cruise-16.jpg" border="0" alt="cruise"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Cruises offer the chance to see multiple countries in a matter of days, but that means very little time in each location.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">To make&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">the most of the time you do have, hire a tour guide beforehand.</span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">They can set up an itinerary for you before you even arrive, and most of the time, will pick you up so you avoid getting stuck in the crowd.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Plus, if they drive, you can avoid the nerve-wracking feeling of missing your return time back to the ship.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Historical locations</strong></h2>
<p>Even though places like the <a href="http://www.louvre.fr/en">Louvre</a>&nbsp;have audio guides, when you have so much ground to cover it's good to have a guide who can take you to the must-see pieces first.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Plus, a tour guide can give you valuable knowledge and a deeper understanding into what you're seeing so you&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">leave the country with a solid understanding of its roots. &nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Extremely popular tourist sites&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img class="center" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/554cdaaaecad043d26164644-1200-924/the-vatican.jpg" border="0" alt="the vatican ">Want to see all of the best tourist sites in your destination without having to wait in lines that can take hours?&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Getting a tour guide for highly popular destinations like the Vatican or the Eiffel Tower can be a huge time saver as they will know insider information like when it's least crowded to visit and the days when you'll get the best prices. Guides also often get special access to closed-off sites or rates and can even help you skip the line entirely.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Adventure trips</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/554cde79eab8ea2b477ab056-1200-924/rafting-2.jpg" border="0" alt="RAFTING"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This may apply more if you're at a beginner's level and looking to go on a sporting trip like mountain climbing, scuba diving, or river rafting trip.</span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Often, getting a tour guide will also include lessons to help you get on your feet. Even if your guide isn't with you, they can let you know areas you should be careful to avoid because of safety concerns.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For example, tour guides are highly recommended for activities like climbing Alaska's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm">Mount Denali</a>&nbsp;because of its dangerous conditions. Guides can escort you and ensure you have a safe journey, especially in tough winter conditions.</span></span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Protected areas&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/554ce8606da8112357b0a52b-909-681/silfra-1.jpg" border="0" alt="SILFRA">Unfortunately, some of the most stunning natural wonders are only accessible via a tour guide. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This usually happens when the site is part of a protected area.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">For example, Iceland's <a href="http://www.silfra.org/">Silfra Fissure</a>, one of the only places where you can swim between two continents in some of the world's clearest waters, requires a tour guide because of its location in a protected park.</span></p>
<h2 class="p2">Dangerous locations&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If you're planning to travel to a destination with a dangerous reputation, it helps to have a tour guide who knows which areas to explore and which to be more weary of.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This is especially important in countries where there's a high number of unregulated taxis or if there's been cases of political turmoil. Currently, it's good to consider this for certain areas in countries like Mexico, Haiti, and Brazil.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Large outdoor historical complexes&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img class="center" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/555251d06da811dc2dfe49d8-1200-924/pompeii-2.jpg" border="0" alt="pompeii">When you're visiting an outdoor historical complex that's large in size, it can sometimes be&nbsp;overwhelming and confusing to visit on your own. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In large historic cities, like the ancient&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala or the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, having a guide can help you know where to start and save you from missing valuable information.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Guides can bring you to the most interesting excavations and add valuable stories to each that audio guides often don't. They'll also know when exhibits are temporarily closed to help you save time. &nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Nature or hiking trips</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><img class="center" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55524daf69beddf03822ef80-909-681/costa-rica-rainforest.jpg" border="0" alt="costa rica rainforest ">If you're visiting a rainforest, jungle, or hiking trail, it's great to get a tour guide who can give you information on wildlife, plants, and hiking trails.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For the untrained eye, it can be hard to spot animals, but guides know where to look for shy wildlife and hidden plants.</span></p>
<p class="p1">For example, Costa Rica's rain forests are known for their stunning array of bird and butterfly species, but it could be incredibly tough to know the right places to spot them without a trained nature guide.&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span class="s1">When you don't speak the same language&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Translation books and apps help when you're looking for a quick phrase, but if you're traveling to a country where you don't speak the language at all, a local tour guide who speaks both languages is a great investment. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Not only can they help you communicate with locals, but they can also help translate signs and descriptions in museums and attractions so you know exactly what you're seeing. &nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">When you don't want to drive&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55524ccdeab8ead6462ccbf8-1200-924/cars-32.jpg" border="0" alt="cars"><span>Driving in a foreign country can be stressful when you don't understand the signs, aren't familiar with the roads, and may even be driving on a different side of the ride — like in the UK. &nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">That's when a guide comes in handy. Many tour guides will pick you up and take you around the area, explaining the history and context of the sites you're seeing while driving. This makes it easy to navigate the sites without stressing about driving.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Plus, sometimes hiring a guide as a driver comes out to be cheaper than what you'd pay to rent a car, especially if you're paying for a one-way rental.</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">To see hidden gems&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p><span class="s1">One of best parts about hiring a tour guide is seeing their favorite stops. If they are a local, chances are they have their go-to destinations that only locals know about. Whether it's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a favorite local pub, or a fantastic attraction that most tourists overlook, guides can help recommend authentic experiences that you may not discover on your own.</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-unknown-travel-destinations-2015-4" >35 incredible travel destinations you've probably never heard of</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-pay-for-a-professional-tour-guide-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stunning-south-america-drone-footage-2015-3">Beautiful drone video of epic trip across South America</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-caminito-del-rey-2015-3The world's most dangerous pathway just reopened to the public after 15 years — and the views are dizzyinghttp://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-caminito-del-rey-2015-3
Thu, 02 Apr 2015 16:45:40 -0400Melia Robinson
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55195d26ecad04294b88dea6-3500-2333/rtr4tg3f.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p><p></p>
<p>You know you're in for a thrill when a related Google search for "Caminito del Rey" suggests "death toll."</p>
<p>Called the world's most dangerous trail, <a href="http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/#1">Caminito del Rey</a> is a roughly five-mile walkway that clings to the walls of the El Chorro gorge in southern Spain. It closed in 2000 after a number of people fell to their deaths, and it reopened this month after a <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/worlds-most-dangerous-trail-reopens-week-180954747/?no-ist">reported $5.8 million restoration project</a>.</p>
<p>Reuters photographer <a href="http://in.reuters.com/news/picture/dont-look-down?articleId=INRTR4TKA6">Jon Nazca</a> hiked the pathway before it opened to the public. Experience the journey for yourself by scrolling below.</p>
<h3>The original path was built between 1901 and 1905 as an access road to two hydroelectric plants.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55195d24eab8ea784c16d74d-3500-2333/rtr4tg1g.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="color: #000000;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>The locals began taking advantage of the trail on foot, bicycle, and horse. Women crossed to reach shops in the next village, and children used it to get to school.&nbsp;</h3>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55195d25eab8eaa64b16d750-3500-2333/rtr4tg1d.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>In 1921, King Alfonso XIII traversed the path on his way to the opening of a nearby dam. Locals named it "El Caminito del Rey," or the King's Little Pathway.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55195d256da8117b6ddd9d1d-3500-2333/rtr4tg1i.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>The boardwalk hangs 100 meters above the water, providing breathtaking views of Spain's natural beauty. The full route <a href="http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/5106/discover-caminito">takes four to five hours to complete</a>.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55195d2869bedd1a138c035a-3500-2333/rtr4tg48.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Time wore on the walkway, however, leaving it pockmarked and decrepit. In 1999 and 2000, several travelers died attempting to cross.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55195d256bb3f7a308bf9822-3500-2333/rtr4tg1t.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Local authorities shut it down by destroying the entry points. Anyone caught trespassing received a hefty fine of $6,500.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/55195d276da8113f6ddd9d1d-2333-3500/rtr4tg3l.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="color: #000000;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>The ban made the hike only more appealing to daredevils, who would <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Nd1qtk1Go">strap on GoPro cameras</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcczjFRcVcU">upload videos of their jaunts to YouTube</a>.&nbsp;</h3>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55195d286bb3f7a308bf9832-3500-2333/rtr4tg29.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>The government took note of the walkway's popularity and decided to rebuild it, making the path safer and attracting more tourism dollars to the area.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55195d256bb3f78a04bf9827-3500-2333/rtr4tg1s.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>A reported $5.8 million later, the new wooden and steel walkways hover just feet above the original route in some areas. The project's director and head architect, Luis Machuca, told <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/mar/27/caminito-del-rey-malaga-path-reopens-spain-hiking">The Guardian</a> that preserving the thrill of the old path was crucial.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/551967ef69bedd77478c0359-1200-2000/rtr4tg1c-skitched.jpg" border="0" alt="caminito del rey"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Visitors can <a href="https://reservas.caminitodelrey.info/">purchase admission tickets</a> to El Caminito del Rey online, though it is booked through June. An <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/mar/27/caminito-del-rey-malaga-path-reopens-spain-hiking">expected 600 people</a> will cross every day.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55195d276da8112a68dd9d1d-3500-2333/rtr4tg3z.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del ReyRTR4TG3Z" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>"It's not only the view and the surroundings, but the emotion of walking the Caminito del Rey," <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/mar/27/caminito-del-rey-malaga-path-reopens-spain-hiking">Machuca says</a>.</h3>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55195d28ecad04435088dea2-3500-2333/rtr4tg54.jpg" border="0" alt="Caminito del Rey" style="line-height: 1.5em;"></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-abandoned-olympic-village-in-berlin-2015-3" >Photos of the abandoned Olympic Village built for the 1936 games in Nazi Germany will give you chills</a></strong></p>
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Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:53:00 -0400Jeremy Bender
<p><span><span><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5507588decad04581518acf8-1200-924/iceland-66.jpg" border="0" alt="Iceland">Adventure travel conjures the image of safaris, wild animals, and far-flung destinations, all of which require oodles of money to experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span> But as the world becomes smaller, the possibilities of affordable adventure travel become ever more feasible.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><span><span class="skimlinks-unlinked">Cheapism.com</span><span>&nbsp;waded through online news clips, magazine articles, and blogs to identify locales where frugal adventurer travelers will find excitement in the great outdoors.</span><span><br></span></span></p>
<h2><span><span>Iceland</span></span></h2>
<p>Step into Iceland and feel as though you're part of a Nordic epic. Full of hot springs, glaciers, volcanoes, and stunning waterfalls, Iceland offers adventurous travelers some of the most astounding natural sights in the world.</p>
<p>WOW Air, a budget Icelandic <a href="http://www.cheapism.com/cheap-airlines">airline</a>, is offering flights from Boston to Reykjavik for as low as $320 round trip. Flights are also available from Washington, D.C.</p>
<h2><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Banff National Park</span></h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Located in the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park was one of the first areas in the world to be declared a national park. Full of hiking trails, camp grounds, hot springs, and stunning views, Banff offers a little bit of adventure for all manner of adventure seekers. Reserve an on-site camping spot for as little as $15.70.</span></p>
<h2><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Florida Alligators</span></h2>
<p>Shell out $35 and ride a zip line over live alligators in Florida. The Alligator Farm in St. Augustine maintains two zip-line trails that cross above these water-loving reptiles. The course trails also double as obstacle courses, ensuring a wild time for one and all. The zip-line fee includes a tour of the farm.</p>
<h2><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Nicaragua</span></h2>
<p>According to data from Skyscanner, a travel aggregator site, Nicaragua is shaping up as the next Costa Rica in terms of tourist appeal. Airfare to the country is relatively inexpensive, on-the-ground costs are low, and the area is still free of commercial excess. Notable adventure destinations include hiking the active Concepcion Volcano or trekking through the jungle. For optimal ticket prices, Skyscanner says the week of September 21 is the best time to travel to Nicaragua.</p>
<h2>Adirondacks</h2>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/550757416da811711395f9f7-1200-924/adirondack-paddling-new-york-1.jpg" border="0" alt="adirondack paddling new york">The Adirondack Mountains, located in northeastern New York State, are a perfect summer getaway from the big city. The state park that encompasses the mountains is a wilderness area spanning more than six million acres. It's crisscrossed by hiking trails (the vast majority are free) and dotted with camp sites, lakes, and streams. After a few nature-filled days, visit the historical Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain.</p>
<h2>Outer Banks</h2>
<p>The Outer Banks in North Carolina are a series of islands offering an ideal blend of rest and adventure. Vacationers seeking a beautiful and serene natural getaway can relax on the white sandy beaches, where access is free. Those craving adventure will find water sports, horseback riding, and hang gliding. Be sure to save time for Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.</p>
<h2>Arcadia National Park</h2>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55075800ecad043c1118acf5-1200-924/arcadia-national-park.jpg" border="0" alt="Arcadia National Park">Maine's Arcadia National Park offers adventure travel in unspoiled natural beauty. The first national park in the eastern United States, Arcadia has something for nearly everyone, from scenic trails along the edges of precipices to beaches full of seashells and wetlands and marshes teeming with wildlife and rare plants. A seven-day vehicular pass costs $20, and use of the campgrounds costs $20 a night.</p>
<h2><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Badlands National Park</span></h2>
<p>Badlands National Park in southwestern South Dakota offers a total escape from everyday life. The surrounding country is so rugged and otherworldly that it was used as the set for the film "Starship Troopers." Take in the scenic beauty and then hike through grasslands, which sometimes afford sightings of wild buffalo herds. For a change of pace, drive over to Mount Rushmore, about 85 miles west. The park charges $15 for a seven-day vehicle pass and nightly camping at Sage Creek Campground is free.</p>
<h2>Coastal Wildlife Reserves</h2>
<p>Along the Georgian coast are a string of state and national wildlife reserves, including Blackbeard Island, Wolf Island, and Harris Neck. To fully explore the refuges, rent a two-person kayak from Southeast Adventure in Brunswick, Ga. The boat costs $75 the first day and $25 each additional day. Entrance into the wildlife reserves is free.</p>
<h2>Zion National Park</h2>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5507586969bedde7666d9e27-1200-924/zion-national-park-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Zion National Park">Zion National Park in Utah is one of the country's better-kept national park secrets. It boasts miles of trails, sites for canyoneering and climbing, and opportunities for bird watching and horseback riding. Embark on a multi-day hike by reserving lodging in a string of campgrounds throughout the park. Zion sells a $25 seven-day vehicle pass and charges $3 a night per person to pitch a tent at the Watchman campground.</p>
<h2>Tahoe Rim Trail</h2>
<p>Set along Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, the 80-mile Tahoe Rim Trail is one of the most astounding mountain biking locations in the country, according to National Geographic. The International Mountain Bicycling Association named a portion of the Tahoe Rim Trail between Tahoe Meadows and Spooner Summit an "epic," meaning it is the epitome of what mountain biking has to offer. Bike rentals start at $45 a day. The trail is also open to hikers, no fee attached.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/100-trips-to-take-2015-2" >100 trips everyone should take in their lifetime</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/11-budget-friendly-and-adventurous-travel-destinations-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-ss-eastland-disaster-ship-chicago-river-2015-2">Found footage shows the 1915 Chicago River ship disaster that killed 844 people</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/100-year-old-woman-skydiving-south-africa-2015-3This 100-year-old celebrated her milestone birthday skydiving — and she even landed on her feethttp://www.businessinsider.com/100-year-old-woman-skydiving-south-africa-2015-3
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 15:29:00 -0400Jason Gaines and Associated Press
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<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Georgina Harwood celebrated her 100th birthday by skydiving over Cape Town, South Africa. </span>
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<p><em>Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press and Skydive Cape Town.</em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/100-year-old-woman-skydiving-south-africa-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-tracks-with-rick-smolan-and-robyn-davidson-2015-215 striking photos of one woman's 1,700-mile trek across the Australian outbackhttp://www.businessinsider.com/inside-tracks-with-rick-smolan-and-robyn-davidson-2015-2
Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:35:26 -0500Richard Feloni
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54dcdfd76bb3f78c788b4567-600-/people-tracks.jpg" border="0" alt="people tracks" width="600"></p><p></p>
<p>When Robyn Davidson was 26 years old, she decided to walk 1,700 miles across the harsh terrain of wild Australia.</p>
<p>It was 1977, and Davidson spent nine months traveling from Alice Springs in central Australia to the Indian Ocean off the western coast.</p>
<p>She wanted to find meaning outside of the noise of modern society, and reached out to National Geographic to fund the trip.</p>
<p>The magazine agreed to give her&nbsp;<span>some money to survive the trek alongside her four camels and dog</span>, in exchange for intermittently sending 27-year-old photographer Rick Smolan to document stretches of the journey.</p>
<p>The National Geographic story was published in May 1978, and Davidson published her memoir, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762876/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0679762876&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bibooklists-20&amp;linkId=44T2MGRXFW3NVTGG" target="_blank">Tracks</a>," two years later.</p>
<p>It made Davidson a celebrity in Australia, and over 30 years later was adapted into <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tracks-Mia-Wasikowska/dp/B00SMLC27I/ref=sr_1_1">a dramatic film</a> starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver.</p>
<p>More recently, <span>Smolan</span>&nbsp;self-published "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454912944/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1454912944&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bibooklists-20&amp;linkId=E5H673BZFDQJBGCW" target="_blank">Inside Tracks: Robyn Davidson's Solo Journey Across the Outback</a>," a collection of high-res prints of his original photographs&nbsp;alongside personal essays from him and Davidson.</p>
<p>Smolan shared a sampling of the photos with Business Insider. They capture Davidson's journey, as well as powerful lessons about love, death, and self-reliance.</p><h3>Here, Davidson is seen planning out her trip in a notebook. "To me, what matters is that Robyn permitted herself to listen to the little voice inside that so many of us ignore," Smolan writes in "Inside Tracks." </h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54c50294ecad04d71d5a6057-400-300/here-davidson-is-seen-planning-out-her-trip-in-a-notebook-to-me-what-matters-is-that-robyn-permitted-herself-to-listen-to-the-little-voice-inside-that-so-many-of-us-ignore-smolan-writes-in-inside-tracks.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Davidson requested $4,000 in support from National Geographic for her trip, which she expected to last six to eight months, in return for giving one of their journalists a chance to document the story. Here is a shot of Smolan, National Geographic's representative, and Davidson compared to their silver screen counterparts.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54c50346ecad04fc2c5a6048-400-300/davidson-requested-4000-in-support-from-national-geographic-for-her-trip-which-she-expected-to-last-six-to-eight-months-in-return-for-giving-one-of-their-journalists-a-chance-to-document-the-story-here-is-a-shot-of-smolan-national-geographics-representative-and-davidson-compared-to-their-silver-screen-counterparts.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>"I wanted to shed burdens," Davidson writes in "Inside Tracks." "To pare away what was unnecessary. The process was literal, in the sense of constantly leaving behind anything extraneous to my needs, and metaphorical, or perhaps metaphysical, in the sense of ridding myself of mental baggage." Pictured below is Uluru, the world's largest single rock.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54c502a96da8116543b6c1c7-400-300/i-wanted-to-shed-burdens-davidson-writes-in-inside-tracks-to-pare-away-what-was-unnecessary-the-process-was-literal-in-the-sense-of-constantly-leaving-behind-anything-extraneous-to-my-needs-and-metaphorical-or-perhaps-metaphysical-in-the-sense-of-ridding-myself-of-mental-baggage-pictured-below-is-uluru-the-worlds-largest-single-rock.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-tracks-with-rick-smolan-and-robyn-davidson-2015-2#smolan-accompanied-davidson-in-her-hike-over-uluru-along-with-her-four-camels-and-her-rescued-dog-diggity-davidson-had-spent-two-years-learning-from-aboriginals-to-train-camels-and-survive-the-desert-here-she-is-by-a-formation-in-the-wall-of-uluru-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2This San Francisco tech worker quit his job to create videos inside an active volcanohttp://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2
Sun, 08 Feb 2015 10:16:00 -0500Kevin Loria
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d25fe76da8112c62b59507-600-/sam-121.jpg" border="0" alt="Sam Cossman" width="600"></p><p></p>
<p>By any standard measure, Sam Cossman had a good gig.</p>
<p>He worked for <a href="https://xola.com/">Xola</a>, a San Francisco startup that made reservation software for outdoor activity and adventure based businesses, something connected to his own interest in exploration and adventure — he had spent time traveling and had built a company focused on adventure before that had been folded into Xola.</p>
<p>But in the summer of 2014 an opportunity unexpectedly presented itself that allowed him to travel to the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. There, he rappelled down into a volcano, bringing a GoPro camera and some other gear. And he captured some pretty incredible footage.</p>
<p>That <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-men-rappelled-into-an-active-volcano-2014-9">video got a ton of interest</a> online. People wanted to know more about the trip, more about the volcano — but they also wanted to know if he was going to go back to make more videos.</p>
<p>And thinking about it, his "sense of curiosity hadn't really been satisfied, it was such a quick trip," he tells Business Insider. So he decided to go back into the heart of the volcano, but it was going to take some time and planning to get everything together.</p>
<p>So he quit his job.</p>
<p><img class="full" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54d279496bb3f787687bb1d5-1200-924/drone-in-volcano.jpg" border="0" alt="Drone in volcano">He gathered a crew, including a fellow climber and explorer, a drone pilot — flying drones inside a volcano spewing toxic gas is hard — and a writer and researcher gathering information on microbial life that exists in extreme environments, the sort of life that NASA might look for traces of while investigating volcanoes on other planetary bodies.</p>
<p>They made a plan to return to Vanuatu. They were going back to the lava lake at Marum Crater on Ambrym, the same spot Cossman had filmed before. And with the help of the team and with funding mostly from the photography accessory company <a href="http://kenu.com/">Kenu</a>, he made another video — an explorer's journey to the center of the Earth:</p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="600" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/50PdF9OM7Dc"></iframe></p>
<p>Pretty cool, right?</p>
<p>Business Insider spoke with Cossman to learn more about what it's like to walk around beside a lava lake in an active volcano — a spot so insane that locals call it the "entrance to hell."</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54d283db69bedd122ea2f933-1200-924/marum-crater-ambrym-volcano.jpg" border="0" alt="Marum crater Ambrym volcano">BI: What's the first thing you notice when you are inside a volcano?</strong></p>
<p>SC: It really feels like you're on another planet. You have goggles, a gas mask, a respirator... It's hot, 130 degrees, and it's over 2,000 degrees in the lava, it's a sensory overload.</p>
<p>It's almost an out of body experience — you've not really seen or heard or felt or smelled anything like when you're down there. It sounds like a freight train because of the force of the energy coming out of that crater, a combination of a huge wave crashing and a river and a train, really loud. You can hardly hear yourself think.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d285d2ecad046b55ad0f9a-1200-924/volcano-exploration.jpg" border="0" alt="Volcano exploration">BI: What do you see?</strong></p>
<p>SC: The sights are also spectacular, it's blinding but like looking at a campfire. You really could only look at it for one or two seconds — cameras melt, your gas mask melts, even the gas masks that are designed to purify the air at that level of particulate matter, they can't quite.</p>
<p>The lava is very unpredictable, you might be half way down and see it crust over, but then it builds up pressure and explodes, turns into this raging explosive force, this dynamic thing... It's very unnerving, if you're focusing on a job at hand it's easy to get caught off guard by a huge splash of lava.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d28e49eab8eaf65d89a691-1147-996/screen shot 2015-02-04 at 4.24.18 pm.png" border="0" alt="descending into volcano">BI: What were the scariest moments?</strong></p>
<p>SC: There were two — three.</p>
<p>First, I was walking next to the [lava] lake and my camera guy yells "hit the deck!" — and there was a massive splash of lava, and a very small piece hit one of us (<em>luckily those protective suits are powerful</em>). Lava is an interesting entity unto itself, it maintains the same level of density as a liquid or a solid, if you get a huge splash, not only will it burn you but it'll take you out.</p>
<p>Second, to climb up we used a motorized ascender, but one of the devices about halfway up we discovered had a fuel leak. I got stranded on the side of a vertical cliff, had to wait there with a climbing partner while another guy went up to get some fuel and spare parts, and around that time it started raining. What started like a harmless sprinkle turned into a raging torrent like a waterfall, and the water isn't like normal rainfall, it's acid rain, melting the skin off your hands, and with bowling ball sized rocks going by your head.</p>
<p>The other that I wish I would have captured on camera, I was on the descent down, and the footing is very loose, you swing depending on where the rope is (<em>Cossman explained that they rappel down, carrying a large amount of gear, but sometimes have to swing to another spot to make their way down)</em>, and I caught myself and stabilized with my legs. That was enough to loosen a rock from 100 feet up, and it landed with a huge impact, knocked the wind out of me, on my collarbone. I thought I had broken my bone, but its fall was broken by my backpack strap - fortunately it didn't break any bones.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54d28fc869bedd1866cf6df9-1200-924/base-camp.jpg" border="0" alt="Base camp">BI: What did you learn?</strong></p>
<p>SC: I'd say one thing that this validated, that I'd begun to feel already, is that we as humans have so much capacity for greatness yet unless we really put ourselves into uncomfortable situations, you don't see what you're made of.</p>
<p>To look into a lava filled crater with so much force and perpetual energy and fire on Earth, it really gives you a glimpse into what you can imagine formed the Earth," he says. "It helps give you a perspective on things you rarely have the chance to see with your own eyes, it's a window in that ancient world, a visualization of creation.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54d290f969beddc962cf6e01-1200-924/volcano-trip.jpg" border="0" alt="Volcano trip">BI: So what's next?</strong></p>
<p>SC: I can't really talk about it yet, but suffice to say it will be equally exciting.</p>
<p><em>This interview and the questions asked were ordered and edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-beavers-skydived-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948-2015-2" >76 beavers were forced to skydive into the Idaho wilderness in 1948</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-nerd-hobby-2015-1">Neil deGrasse Tyson: Here are the nerdiest things I've ever done</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2This San Francisco tech worker quit his job to create videos inside an active volcanohttp://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 12:43:00 -0500Kevin Loria
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d25fe76da8112c62b59507-600-/sam-121.jpg" border="0" alt="Sam Cossman" width="600"></p><p></p>
<p>By any standard measure, Sam Cossman had a good gig.</p>
<p>He worked for <a href="https://xola.com/">Xola</a>, a San Francisco startup that makes reservation software for outdoor activity and adventure based businesses, something connected to his own interest in exploration and adventure — he had spent time traveling and had built a company focused on adventure before joining Xola.</p>
<p>But in the summer of 2014 an opportunity unexpectedly presented itself that allowed him to travel to the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. There, he rappelled down into a volcano, bringing a GoPro camera and some other gear. And he captured some pretty incredible footage.</p>
<p>That <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-men-rappelled-into-an-active-volcano-2014-9">video got a ton of interest</a> online. People wanted to know more about the trip, more about the volcano — but they also wanted to know if he was going to go back to make more videos.</p>
<p>And thinking about it, his "sense of curiosity hadn't really been satisfied, it was such a quick trip," he tells Business Insider. So he decided to go back into the heart of the volcano, but it was going to take some time and planning to get everything together.</p>
<p>So he quit his job.</p>
<p><img class="full" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54d279496bb3f787687bb1d5-1200-924/drone-in-volcano.jpg" border="0" alt="Drone in volcano">He gathered a crew, including a fellow climber and explorer, a drone pilot — flying drones inside a volcano spewing toxic gas is hard — and a writer and researcher gathering information on microbial life that exists in extreme environments, the sort of life that NASA might look for traces of while investigating volcanoes on other planetary bodies.</p>
<p>They made a plan to return to Vanuatu. They were going back to the lava lake at Marum Crater on Ambrym, the same spot Cossman had filmed before. And with the help of the team and with funding mostly from the photography accessory company <a href="http://kenu.com/">Kenu</a>, he made another video — an explorer's journey to the center of the Earth:</p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="600" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/50PdF9OM7Dc"></iframe></p>
<p>Pretty cool, right?</p>
<p>Business Insider spoke with Cossman to learn more about what it's like to walk around beside a lava lake in an active volcano — a spot so insane that locals call it the "entrance to hell."</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54d283db69bedd122ea2f933-1200-924/marum-crater-ambrym-volcano.jpg" border="0" alt="Marum crater Ambrym volcano">BI: What's the first thing you notice when you are inside a volcano?</strong></p>
<p>SC: It really feels like you're on another planet. You have goggles, a gas mask, a respirator... It's hot, 130 degrees, and it's over 2,000 degrees in the lava, it's a sensory overload.</p>
<p>It's almost an out of body experience — you've not really seen or heard or felt or smelled anything like when you're down there. It sounds like a freight train because of the force of the energy coming out of that crater, a combination of a huge wave crashing and a river and a train, really loud. You can hardly hear yourself think.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d285d2ecad046b55ad0f9a-1200-924/volcano-exploration.jpg" border="0" alt="Volcano exploration">BI: What do you see?</strong></p>
<p>SC: The sights are also spectacular, it's blinding but like looking at a campfire. You really could only look at it for one or two seconds — cameras melt, your gas mask melts, even the gas masks that are designed to purify the air at that level of particulate matter, they can't quite.</p>
<p>The lava is very unpredictable, you might be half way down and see it crust over, but then it builds up pressure and explodes, turns into this raging explosive force, this dynamic thing... It's very unnerving, if you're focusing on a job at hand it's easy to get caught off guard by a huge splash of lava.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d28e49eab8eaf65d89a691-1147-996/screen shot 2015-02-04 at 4.24.18 pm.png" border="0" alt="descending into volcano">BI: What were the scariest moments?</strong></p>
<p>SC: There were two — three.</p>
<p>First, I was walking next to the [lava] lake and my camera guy yells "hit the deck!" — and there was a massive splash of lava, and a very small piece hit one of us (<em>luckily those protective suits are powerful</em>). Lava is an interesting entity unto itself, it maintains the same level of density as a liquid or a solid, if you get a huge splash, not only will it burn you but it'll take you out.</p>
<p>Second, to climb up we used a motorized ascender, but one of the devices about halfway up we discovered had a fuel leak. I got stranded on the side of a vertical cliff, had to wait there with a climbing partner while another guy went up to get some fuel and spare parts, and around that time it started raining. What started like a harmless sprinkle turned into a raging torrent like a waterfall, and the water isn't like normal rainfall, it's acid rain, melting the skin off your hands, and with bowling ball sized rocks going by your head.</p>
<p>The other that I wish I would have captured on camera, I was on the descent down, and the footing is very loose, you swing depending on where the rope is (<em>Cossman explained that they rappel down, carrying a large amount of gear, but sometimes have to swing to another spot to make their way down)</em>, and I caught myself and stabilized with my legs. That was enough to loosen a rock from 100 feet up, and it landed with a huge impact, knocked the wind out of me, on my collarbone. I thought I had broken my bone, but its fall was broken by my backpack strap - fortunately it didn't break any bones.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54d28fc869bedd1866cf6df9-1200-924/base-camp.jpg" border="0" alt="Base camp">BI: What did you learn?</strong></p>
<p>SC: I'd say one thing that this validated, that I'd begun to feel already, is that we as humans have so much capacity for greatness yet unless we really put ourselves into uncomfortable situations, you don't see what you're made of.</p>
<p>To look into a lava filled crater with so much force and perpetual energy and fire on Earth, it really gives you a glimpse into what you can imagine formed the Earth," he says. "It helps give you a perspective on things you rarely have the chance to see with your own eyes, it's a window in that ancient world, a visualization of creation.</p>
<p><strong><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54d290f969beddc962cf6e01-1200-924/volcano-trip.jpg" border="0" alt="Volcano trip">BI: So what's next?</strong></p>
<p>SC: I can't really talk about it yet, but suffice to say it will be equally exciting.</p>
<p><em>This interview and the questions asked were ordered and edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-beavers-skydived-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948-2015-2" >76 beavers were forced to skydive into the Idaho wilderness in 1948</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-volcano-video-vanuatu-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-nerd-hobby-2015-1">Neil deGrasse Tyson: Here are the nerdiest things I've ever done</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-visits-marum-crater-lava-lake-video-2015-2Filmmaker travels to 'the entrance to hell'http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-visits-marum-crater-lava-lake-video-2015-2
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 13:25:00 -0500Kevin Loria
<p><img class="full" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d0fb7a69bedd7a0cf58ebc-1200-858/screen%20shot%202015-02-03%20at%2011.45.17%20am.png" border="0" alt="Sam Cossman volcano lava marum crater ambrym"></p><p>Last September <a href="http://samcossman.com/">Sam Cossman</a> shocked viewers around the world <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-men-rappelled-into-an-active-volcano-2014-9">with some incredible footage</a> from the edge of a lava lake in the Marum Crater, an active volcano on Ambrym, an island in the Vanuatu archipelago, part of the <a href="http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/ring-fire/?ar_a=1">volcanic Ring of Fire</a>.</p>
<p>And for some, one journey into a place <a href="http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Article/Geoff-Mackley-volcano-lava-lake-expedition-in-Red-Bulletin-magazine-021243307848439">known by locals</a> as "the entrance to hell" would be enough. But Cossman tells Business Insider that his "sense of curiosity hadn't really been satisfied, it was such a quick trip."</p>
<p>So he decided to go back to one of the most intense places on Earth that a person has ever set foot — with funding from the photography accessory company <a href="http://www.kenu.com/">Kenu</a> and a crew including a drone pilot, fellow filmmaker and explorer, and a researcher gathering data for NASA.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d1060fecad043c248f9522/flying to the volcano.gif" border="0" alt="flying to the volcano"></p>
<p>They wanted to gather information, capture more astounding footage, and even to use equipment to map the inside of the crater — but also, Cossman wanted to just see it again.</p>
<p>"To look into a lava filled crater with so much force and perpetual energy and fire on Earth, it really gives you a glimpse into what you can imagine formed the Earth," he says. "It helps give you a perspective on things you rarely have the chance to see with your own eyes, it's a window in that ancient world, a visualization of creation."</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54d110e469bedd3160f58ebc/lava lake gif.gif" border="0" alt="lava lake gif"></p>
<p>Check out Cossman's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnFV5zRmbtmAeBzpKZvMgxA">latest video</a>&nbsp;— max quality and full screen&nbsp;(and you can find Sam on <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_cossman">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/sam_cossman">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samcossman10">Facebook</a> too):</p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/50PdF9OM7Dc"></iframe></p><p><strong>PREVIOUSLY:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-men-rappelled-into-an-active-volcano-2014-9" >Insane GoPro video shows man rappelling into volcano</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-cossman-visits-marum-crater-lava-lake-video-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-men-cheat-affair-love-sex-psychotherapist-2015-1">Research Reveals Why Men Cheat, And It's Not What You Think</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-adventurers-flock-to-venezuelas-lost-world-mountain-2015-2Hardcore adventurers are flocking to the mysterious Venezuelan mountain that inspired 'The Lost World'http://www.businessinsider.com/r-adventurers-flock-to-venezuelas-lost-world-mountain-2015-2
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 11:06:59 -0500Andrew Cawthorne
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54d0f07e6da811630f62ab0c-1200-800/rtr4o0pw.jpg" border="0" alt="Kukenan (L) and Roraima mountains venezuela">MOUNT RORAIMA, Venezuela (Reuters) - A mystic, flat-topped mountain on the Venezuela-Brazil border that perplexed 19th-century explorers and inspired "The Lost World" novel is attracting ever more modern-day adventurers.</span></p>
<p>Once impenetrable to all but the Pemon indigenous people, several thousand hikers a year now make the three-day trek across savannah, through rivers, under a waterfall and along a narrow path scaling the cliffs of Mount Roraima.</p>
<p>While those throngs are a boon to Venezuela's tottering tourism industry, they also scatter a prehistoric landscape with unwanted litter and strain a delicate ecosystem.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54d0f0c16da8113d1162ab0e-1200-800/rtr4o0oj.jpg" border="0" alt=" Pemon indigenous porter ">Standing at more than 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) high, Roraima is sacred ground for the Pemons and a spiritual symbol for many other Venezuelans.</p>
<p>"It used to be more solitary and inhospitable," recalled Felix Medina, a 59-year-old guide who has been taking people up the mountain for more than a decade.</p>
<p>"I still love it, but there are too many people," said Medina, his calves aching after he led two groups up and down Roraima with the local Akanan tour agency. "It's chaotic sometimes."</p>
<p>Between 3,000 and 4,000 people are climbing each year, up from hundreds a few years ago. That creates queues during peak times over Christmas and Easter, and sometimes leaves the few sheltered coves at the top crammed with tents.</p>
<p>Helicopters bring wealthy foreign tourists, especially from Japan, to the summit.</p>
<p>"It's an exotic, faraway destination so it's both very costly and very attractive," said retired Japanese diplomat Edo Muneo, 68, who like other compatriots, had to pass a physical test before leaving Japan for Roraima.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d0f0fceab8ea87217f56eb-1200-800/rtr4o0pr.jpg" border="0" alt="Japanese tourists take shelter from the rain next to a rock formation on top of Roraima Mount, "></p>
<h3>"HOUSES OF THE GODS"</h3>
<p>In Pemon language, the flat-topped mountains across southeastern Venezuela are known as "tepuis," which means "houses of the gods." Standing majestically next to Roraima is Kukenan, another tepui, infamous among the Pemons for ancestors who jumped off and committed suicide there.</p>
<p>Out of season, both mountains have the peaceful aura appropriate to one of the Earth's most ancient formations.</p>
<p>On Roraima's vast plateau, strange and gnarled rocks, formed when the African and American continents scraped apart, play with the mind, humorous in the sun, ghostly in the mist.</p>
<p>In British author Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 classic "The Lost World," dinosaurs attack a group of explorers amid the rocks and swamps of that fantasy landscape.</p>
<p>Today's travelers can see black frogs, dragonflies and tarantulas that are unique to Roraima, plus a range of endemic plants clinging to cracks and crevasses.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54d0f163eab8eaeb1d7f56eb-1200-800/rtr4o0qk.jpg" border="0" alt="Tourists walk on Roraima Mount, near Venezuela's border">Not surprisingly, it is also an ornithologist's paradise.</p>
<p>Some Roraima lovers want the government, tour operators and local Pemon leaders to convene and make rules to limit the numbers who can roam the top each day to, say, a few dozen.</p>
<p>They would also like to see a stricter application of rules to ensure visitors, or the porters who most people employ, carry every last shred of waste down with them.</p>
<p>Cristina Sitja, 42, a Venezuelan and children's book illustrator who has been living away from her homeland most of her adult life, said she had been hearing about Roraima since her teenage years and finally climbed it this year.</p>
<p>"It was a nice experience, but sad too," she said. "I expected it to be quieter."</p>
<p>(Additional reporting by Carlos Rawlins; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and Lisa Von Ahn)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-adventurers-flock-to-venezuelas-lost-world-mountain-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/touching-the-void-12-2014This Is One Of The Most Remarkable Survival Stories You Will Ever Read...http://www.businessinsider.com/touching-the-void-12-2014
Thu, 25 Dec 2014 09:09:04 -0500Henry Blodget
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/50798aa9eab8ea317f000027-441-329/touching-the-void.png" border="0" alt="Touching The Void" width="441" height="329"></p><p>In 1985, two British climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, became the first to ascend the west face of Siula Grande, a 21,000-foot peak in the Peruvian Andes.</p>
<p>What happened next<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;is one of the most remarkable and inspiring survival stories ever. It's also an extraordinary example of self-reliance, decision-making under duress, and force of will.</span></p>
<p>One of the climbers, Joe Simpson, wrote a book about the experience called "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void-Story-Miraculous-Survival/dp/0060730552">Touching The Void</a><em>."</em> In 2003, the story was made into a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void-Brendan-Mackey/dp/B00020X94W">movie directed by Kevin Macdonald</a>. The movie was narrated by Simpson and Yates, with actors re-enacting the events in Peru and the Alps.</p>
<p>Using screenshots from the movie, I've told an abridged version of the story below. You can also&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void-Brendan-Mackey/dp/B00020X94W">buy the book or movie here</a>, or watch <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Touching_the_Void/60033287?locale=en-US">the movie on Netflix</a>.</p><h3>The approach to Siula Grande is a two-day hike from the nearest road.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5071aa8f69bedde27a00001a-400-300/the-approach-to-siula-grande-is-a-two-day-hike-from-the-nearest-road.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, establish a base camp about 4-5 miles from the mountain. Then they set off...</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5071aa89ecad04a844000034-400-300/the-climbers-joe-simpson-and-simon-yates-establish-a-base-camp-about-4-5-miles-from-the-mountain-then-they-set-off.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The route to the mountain passes a glacial lake, followed by a long hike up a valley and over the glacier itself.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5071a8ee6bb3f7ac1c000018-400-300/the-route-to-the-mountain-passes-a-glacial-lake-followed-by-a-long-hike-up-a-valley-and-over-the-glacier-itself.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/touching-the-void-12-2014#simpson-and-yates-climb-alpine-style-with-no-fixed-ropes-or-camps-they-carry-everything-they-think-they-will-need-they-intend-to-climb-up-and-down-the-mountain-in-a-three-to-four-day-push-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/ok-go-bucket-list-damian-kulash-tim-norwind-2014-107 Awesome Things To Do Before You're 40http://www.businessinsider.com/ok-go-bucket-list-damian-kulash-tim-norwind-2014-10
Tue, 14 Oct 2014 14:42:00 -0400Alana Kakoyiannis
<p><a href="http://okgo.net/">Damian Kulash and Tim Nordwind from the band OK Go</a>, whose new <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hungry-ghosts/id913538082">album "Hungry Ghost" is out now</a>,&nbsp;gave us some unusual tips from their own experiences of places to visit and things to do before you reach the big 4-0.</p>
<p><em>Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis. Additional Camera by Sam Rega.</em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/businessinsider">On YouTube</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ok-go-bucket-list-damian-kulash-tim-norwind-2014-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/fly-high-on-a-trapeze-2014-9GoPro Footage Shows What It's Like To Fly High On A Trapezehttp://www.businessinsider.com/fly-high-on-a-trapeze-2014-9
Fri, 26 Sep 2014 11:38:00 -0400Sam Rega
<p>For a nighttime view of Lower Manhattan and the Freedom Tower, there's no better place than <a href="http://newyork.trapezeschool.com/" target="_blank">Trapeze School New York</a> at Pier 40. We stopped by one night and strapped a <a href="http://gopro.com/">GoPro</a> to their instructors for a first-person look at this high-adrenaline sport.</p>
<p><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/sam-rega" target="_blank">Sam Rega</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BI_Video" target="_blank">On Twitter</a></p>
<p><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fly-high-on-a-trapeze-2014-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/awesome-gopro-videos-2014-617 Videos That Show How The GoPro Camera Is Changing The Way We See The Worldhttp://www.businessinsider.com/awesome-gopro-videos-2014-6
Sat, 28 Jun 2014 12:05:17 -0400Karyne Levy and Justin Gmoser
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52f507ae6da8114059bf8b7a-480-/screen%20shot%202014-02-07%20at%2011.14.35%20am.png" border="0" alt="GoPro" width="480" /></p><p></p>
<p>The <a href="http://gopro.com/">GoPro camera</a> has revolutionized the way that people capture the world around them.</p>
<p>The ultralight and portable device provides an easy way to record amazing, high-definition images, and has become the standard for many video producers as a cheap alternative to buying or renting expensive camera equipment.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The company IPO'd this week, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gopro-surging-again-after-ipo-2014-6">its stocks were exploding the next day</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The reason the company is so successful, of course, is because of the awesome footage that its cameras capture.</p><h3>In honor of the World Cup, here's a video of Davis Paul playing office soccer with his buddies. </h3>
<p><p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/046MAfwklsc"></iframe></p>
<p>Video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZSk8Moun8Yr7zTTEPqIEw">Davis Paul</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>This is what it looks like plummeting to Earth as the first human to reach supersonic speed. From Felix Baumgartner's point of view:</h3>
<p><p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2RR-tzGOyi0"></iframe></p>
<p>Video by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/redbull?feature=watch">redbull</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>You can achieve some pretty amazing effects for cheap. </h3>
<p><p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qvghDGlrbUo"></iframe></p>
<p>Video by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jeremiahjw?feature=watch">jeremiahjw</a></p>
<p>Check out how to create the <a href="http://jeremiahwarren.com/blog/2013/06/30/how-to-create-a-diy-matrix-bullet-timetime-slice-rig-using-a-ceiling-fan-and-a-gopro/">"'Matrix' effect"</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/awesome-gopro-videos-2014-6#heres-the-same-matrix-effect-but-with-puppies-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a>